Surgical Strike video triggers war of words between Congress, BJP

"The people who will be most happy with the statements of leaders of Congress party are the terrorists in Pakistan. Congress will get a certificate from some terrorist organisations of Pakistan just like Ghulam Nabi Azad got the certificate from Lashkar-e-Taiba," Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the main Opposition party - Congress on Thursday traded charges against each other over Surgical Strike video released by the Army. While the BJP accused the Congress of questioning the commitment and courage of the armed forces and lowering its morale, the Congress said that the ruling party was using valour of the Army for political gains,

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Congress party's criticism of Surgical Strike would only boost the morale of Pakistani terrorists and he hoped that very soon the grand old party would get a certificate from some terrorist organisation.

"The people who will be most happy with the statements of leaders of Congress party are the terrorists in Pakistan. Congress will get a certificate from some terrorist organisations of Pakistan just like Ghulam Nabi Azad got the certificate from Lashkar-e-Taiba," Prasad said.

Recalling that Congress president Rahul Gandhi had termed Surgical Strike 'khoon ki dalali', Prasad asked the opposition party to answer if it considers the video real or not and approves of the surgical strikes or not. "Questions like why the video was released now and where it came from are not relevant," he added.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju also attacked the Congress and said that the party's language was like those who want to divide the country.

“How shameful that the Congress party was first asking for proof of Surgical Strike from the Army and now they are doing politics over it,” Rijiju added.

The Congress had earlier came out all guns blazing against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and said the present government was trying to take benefit out of the Surgical Strike by the Army and convert it into a vote bank.

Many Surgical Strikes took place before also, said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala adding that the Indian Army has always made country proud.

"Modi govt is exploiting the slogan of 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' and trying to win votes through Surgical Strike. The nation wants to ask them did Atal Bihari Vajpayee & Manmohan Singh boast of the success of Army operations during their tenure, just like them?" asked Surjewala.

Citing a report, he said, "68 percent weapons of the Army are old and unusable and after Doklam no money was given for modernisation of the Army."

He also alleged discrimination on the part of Modi government towards Indian Army and said, “From past one year, BJP has stopped food supply of the Army and imposed GST on items of the central canteen."

Talking about unrest in the Kashmir, Surjewala said, “Government has failed in controlling Pakistan sponsored terrorism."